


It's Probably Bears

by AParticularlyLargeBear



Category: Parahumans Series - Wildbow
Genre: Established Relationship, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-02
Updated: 2018-11-02
Packaged: 2019-08-14 15:26:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,374
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16495283
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AParticularlyLargeBear/pseuds/AParticularlyLargeBear
Summary: Ursa Aurora gets away from a Wards headache by going on a date.





	It's Probably Bears

**Author's Note:**

> TOP betaed this. Go give him spooky jack-o-lanterns!

Steffi hated training days with an absolute passion.  
  
She didn’t have the knack for playing to the room that Legend did, nor the magnetic intensity of Prism. Those two drew in their audiences, got them interested and engaged, built a rapport. Ursa Aurora wasn’t the hero that the public were queuing up for autographs at the NYC meet and greets. The best she could manage was ‘clipped and professional’, and that was with the assistance of a thoroughly rehearsed script. Diversions were met with frozen panic and a few seconds of unbearably awkward silence as Steffi attempted to adlib an answer. Far from ideal when meeting fans, and even worse when the floor consisted of a group of surly teenagers, at least half of which were in open rebellion and would pick holes in anything she said which wasn’t watertight. Steffi might have even had some sympathy for their situation if it wasn’t her in the firing line of their pubescent parahuman angst.  
  
The New York (Manhattan #3) Wards were in the midst of some upheaval. The PRT brass had nudged two team captains to graduate to the Protectorate in quick succession, something about keeping the timings unpredictable to prevent too many hints towards civilian identities, which made sense in theory. In practice, they’d removed both of the coolest heads on the team one after the other and then promptly handed off leadership to Portrait who--bless his heart--had the decision-making ability of a magic 8-ball. This polarized the Wards and sparked an instant, volatile reaction from the walking powder keg that was Surpass. To be fair to her, she was less than a month Portrait’s junior, and sort of had a point that age alone was a poor qualifier for leadership skills.  
  
It didn’t quite excuse her flagrantly ignoring orders from Portrait on console and engaging members of The Reapers, a local parahuman gang. It definitely didn’t excuse her patrol partner Plot Twist from going along with her, and extra-plus didn’t excuse Yona and Scusi from quote unquote ‘just happening’ to be in the area and getting involved. If Steffi hadn’t been on her way home from watching the Knicks get destroyed by the Celtics and seen the  _massive plumes of smoke_  coming from a couple of blocks away, the situation could have been what they called, in professional circles, an utter shitshow.  
  
The results were considerably better than deserved. They’d made four parahuman arrests and were going to get a new Ward, possibly even two out of the deal. On the other hand, Plot Twist was in the hospital for lacerations and the Protectorate were on the hook for two destroyed vehicles. One wrecked SUV could probably be swung as an accident. The other, which Surpass had literally thrown at one of the gang, less so. The only reason the Reaper--who was  _not_  a brute regardless of Surpass’s insistence to the contrary--had been spared a grisly fate was Steffi materialising the biggest bear she had in the path of the flying car.  
  
Oh, and Portrait was devastated that none of his friends had listened to him. It took Prism three hours to coax him out of his room in Wards HQ, and now he was only talking to Allie Oop, which would be if not fine then manageable if Allie wasn’t twelve and therefore not well-equipped for playing therapist to a distressed teenager.  
  
Given her direct involvement, Steffi was the most logical candidate to host the Wards’ remedial team building exercises. When Legend informed her as much, she only narrowly managed to keep her screaming internal. It’d been an unmitigated disaster from the start. More than once, Steffi had stumbled over her planned speech, necessitating a couple of seconds to get back on track. Surpass was sulking over the slew of punishments she’d been hit with, Portrait was paying zero attention in favour of moping, and Yona had appointed herself grand inquisitor of every-damn-thing Steffi had said.  
  
Steffi found a new respect for her former high school teachers that day.  
  
Worst of all, when they actually got around to the training exercises, they’d completely crushed them. The Wards had come up with some new power combos since the last time Steffi trained with them and Surpass was hellbent on proving a point. They blew through everything Steffi had planned in half the time allotted for it and she’d wound up improvising with the first thing that came to mind. It was only when Steffi saw two trios of Wards lined up against one another that she realised how bad an idea making them compete was, even in ostensibly ‘friendly’ capture the flag, and then completely undermined herself by nixing it at the last minute. She was only glad she was wearing a mask to hide the horrible heat in her cheeks from the six of them all just staring at her.  
  
It was, as one might put it, exchanging bare-faced embarrassment for bear-faced embarrassment.  
  
Thankfully, Steffi was saved from her mentoring nadir by the timely and unexpected arrival of Legend. Like a true hero, he’d taken pity on the pleading eyes Steffi sent him from across the room, came over, and smoothly launched into a laser-and-bears evasion exercise which had the Wards working together and laughing like friends again and even got Steffi’s own blood pumping. After it ended, Surpass disengaged from the others like she was ashamed to be seen enjoying herself, but for a little while they’d looked like a team. Progress, and much more than Steffi could have managed on her own.  
  
As the Wards all dispersed in pointedly separate groups, Steffi nudged Legend. “Got a second?”  
  
He smiled. “Of course. In private?”  
  
Steffi nodded, stepping out of the training area and into a corridor.  
  
As they walked Legend spoke, a little too casually. “By the way, you haven’t lost your phone, have you? One of the agents said one was dropped off at reception.”  
  
“No, I’ve got it right here,” Steffi patted her costume jacket. She’d never been a fan of the bodysuit look; she hated not having pockets.  
  
“That’s good,” said Legend. Was it her imagination, or did he sound slightly disappointed?  
  
Deciding she was probably reading into things too much, Steffi opened the first office door they walked by and upon confirming it was empty, walked inside. Most of the room was taken up by a large desk and with a sigh, she unmasked and sat down on it.  
  
Legend removed his mask too. He was a handsome man, objectively speaking, strong jaw, great complexion, great hair, skin a little darker than Steffi’s mixed tone. “What can I do for you, Steffi?”  
  
“It’s about the Wards, Nathan.”  
  
He nodded. “I thought that might be it. The dynamic back there wasn’t brilliant.”  
  
Steffi smiled thinly. “Yeah, putting it lightly. They’re going to fall apart at this rate and being honest I don’t think I’m equipped to help them.”  
  
“You seemed to be doing fine earlier.”  
  
She snorted. “I don’t need my feelings spared, Nathan. You saved that session completely.”  
  
“You were managing. Exercises like capture the flag aren’t even that bad an idea, you just need to consider the divisions and avoid reinforcing them. You’re in charge, split up Yona and Scusi, make Portrait and Surpass work on the same team.”  
  
“What, and start a fight?”  
  
“They worked together fine under Vaudeville.”  
  
Steffi tried not to scowl at him. Mask or not, he was still her boss. “Because Vaudeville was the best natural leader we’ve seen in the Wards for years.” She hesitated, then pushed forward. Nathan always said he should be open to criticism. “I just don’t see why we needed to push both her and Sundae into the Protectorate; we could have eased Portrait into it.”  
  
Nathan folded his arms. “Could, maybe. Should have, I disagree. Portrait needs to learn how to assert himself. Surpass needs to learn how to listen. They’re teenagers, they’ll adapt.”  
  
“If you say so.” She had her doubts.  
  
He smiled that poster-perfect smile of his. “It could be worse, they could be throwing themselves at the Teeth like Rival a year back—” There was a chirpy little beep. Nathan twisted around, looking surprised. “Was that your phone or mine?”  
  
“Yours,” said Steffi, a little irritated by the distraction. “I have custom text sounds.”  
  
Again, Nathan seemed disappointed. What was his preoccupation with her phone? He schooled his expression. “Right. Regardless, we just need to give them some time.” He clapped her on the shoulder. “Have some faith in yourself!”  
  
Steffi’s stomach sank. “In myself.”  
  
“They’ll benefit from some tutelage under an experienced hero.” Another dazzling smile. He was laying it on thick today.  
  
Steffi sighed. When Nathan was like this, it was easier to just go along with him. “I’ll need some help with them.”  
  
Nathan shook his head. “I was willing to lend a hand today, but if I keep doing it, then I’m just going to undermine you. This is a learning experience for you too, Steffi.”  
  
This time she didn’t catch herself in time, pulling a face which left little ambiguity for her distaste.  
  
Naturally, Nathan noticed. You didn’t get to a position like his without being able to read people. “Look, Steffi, I wouldn’t give you the task if I didn’t think it was within your capabilities. We need the Protectorate to be the best it can be, and that means its members need to be the best they can be.”  
  
Her willingness to argue wilted in the face of the earnest logic. She nodded slowly.  
  
“Don’t look so glum,” said Nathan. “How about we meet up in the next week or so and I can give you some coaching?”  
  
She managed a smile. “I’ll need it.”  
  
“All right, let’s check our itineraries and find a suitable time.” Nathan pulled out his phone. Steffi followed suit, then blinked to see a text waiting for her on screen.  
  
_Hey meet me @ c park zoo k have surprise_  
  
“Is that a message?” asked Nathan, much too innocently.  
  
Steffi shot him a glare. “You’ve been colluding with her.”  
  
“Colluding? Never,” he grinned mischievously. “A certain rogue friend of mine simply asked I made sure one of my Protectorate paid attention to her phone.”  
  
Steffi glanced at the door, then hesitated. Technically she was still on the clock. “Can I—”  
  
“Go on, get out of here!” said Nathan, waving her away. “Go see your girlfriend!”  
  
She was out of the door and PRT building in a bear shaped blur. A blear, if you will.  
  
\--  
  
Farah was waiting for her on a park bench. As usual, she was draped all over it, occupying as much space as a seven-and-a-half foot frame demanded and then some. Her elongated limbs and torso drew attention from passerby, but any time someone lingered over her for too long, she sent them on their way with a yellow-eyed stare. That having been said, she didn’t have to put up with as many gawkers as she might have in another city. While she was clearly parahuman, capes weren’t that uncommon a sight in New York, and Changeling wasn’t exactly an A-lister. The lack of a real secret identity was still a problem occasionally, and probably made people suspect Steffi was a cape too, but she didn’t care. Farah was worth it.  
  
Farah waved lazily as Steffi approached. She was wearing a (very) long-sleeved light sweater and similarly extended jogging bottoms and her signature red hijab, but no shoes, revealing her splay-clawed feet. When Steffi was a step or two away, Farah stood, enfolding her in an enormous hug. Steffi wrapped her arms around Farah’s midriff in turn. Earlier in their relationship, it had bothered her that she was so much shorter, but there were perks to having a tall girlfriend; for one, she got to be the little spoon, for another, she didn’t have to conjure up a bear to stand on to reach top shelves.  
  
“I was starting to wonder if your phone was switched on,” said Farah. “I’ve had three people ask if I was on a stake-out and I think I scandalised the third one by saying I was scoping out the booty.”  
  
Steffi laughed, breaking the hug and then standing up on tiptoes. Farah took the hint and leaned down to kiss her gently on the lips. Steffi held both of Farah’s hands and took half a step back. “Your patience is rewarded, sentinel of butts.”  
  
Farah beamed. Her smile was a little scary to the uninitiated, coming from a mouth both unsettlingly wide and containing a great many razor sharp teeth. Her cape identity had suffered from a terrible reputation for quite some time as a result of her appearance, though she’d hardly helped matters by refusing to cooperate with PRT personnel and on one infamous occasion charged a Protectorate cape bodily through a wall. Still, Steffi had recovered quickly and now they were dating, which just went to show that first impressions weren’t always right.  
  
Prism liked to call that incident ‘The Crash Tackle of Love’.  
  
“Sorry about not answering, I was trying to get the kids to behave,” said Steffi. Out in public like this, she was always careful to avoid any discussion of her job. Never knew who could be listening, and with what ears. A few years back there’d been that one stranger who could stand three feet away from you and you’d just vaguely assume that they were supposed to be there, even in the middle of PRT HQ. M/S protocols had been hell for a solid month.  
  
“Say no more. Sounds like a headache.”  
  
“And boss-man wants to put me in charge of it for the next while.”  
  
Farah winced in sympathy. “Ouuuch,” she brightened. “But enough about that, I had a surprise for you!”  
  
Steffi folded her arms, leaned back, and raised an eyebrow.  
  
  
Farah cast an arm out behind her. “We’re going to the zoo!”  
  
Steffi wasn’t sure that counted as a surprise, but for a date with Farah was willing to give it a pass. The two of them didn’t get to spend enough time together, especially with Farah still digging her heels in about getting their own place. Damn her and her logical arguments which Steffi couldn’t take apart without feeling like an ass.  
  
“I’m game, let’s go.”  
  
The next hour or so was spent hand in hand as they entered the zoo and walked around together, taking in the animals and the sunshine. It was a gloriously warm day, and Steffi luxuriated in it, tipping back her head and shutting her eyes, trusting Farah to let her know if she was about to collide with something. It was nice to unwind for a while, forget about junior hero drama and cape business and the PRT and just be a person enjoying the company of someone she cared for so much that it took her breath away. Farah’s hand was warm, her long fingers lacing with Steffi’s and almost cradling them in her grip, tight like she was afraid Steffi would vanish if she let go.  
  
When she opened her eyes again, Farah was looking down at her, eyes soft and expression strangely wistful. Steffi smiled. “You’re quieter than usual today.”  
  
Farah blinked, and the expression was gone in a flash. “Am I?”  
  
“Mm. You haven’t even maimed any basketball terminology.” Normally, Farah delighted in looking up the results of any recent Knicks games and tormenting Steffi mercilessly about them if they lost. The jibes, naturally, would have had somewhat more sting if she had the faintest idea how basketball worked and didn’t routinely get all of the lingo mixed up.  
  
Farah approximated a grin. “I  _could_  do that, if you like.”  
  
Steffi laughed. “I’m good, thanks.” She paused, studying Farah. Her smile seemed to have less enthusiasm than usual. “Everything okay?”  
  
“What? Yeah, yeah, everything’s fine,” Farah fiddled with the scarf component of her hijab. “Hey, look, there’s another enclosure over there!” She started walking more quickly, her long strides forcing Steffi to hurry to keep up.  
  
“Hey, hey!” Steffi tugged her hand free, and Farah jolted to a stop, not turning around. “Remember what we talked about with this kind of thing?”  
  
Farah took a deep breath. “Communication.”  
  
“Communication,” Steffi repeated. “Listen, if something’s going on which you don’t want to talk about, then I completely respect that, but I need you to say it, not give me the brush off, okay?”  
  
Farah turned around, fidgeting self consciously. “I know, I know. Sorry, I didn’t mean to get weird on you.”  
  
Steffi shook her head. “It’s not that, I just…” she looked down. “This is a good thing, and I don’t want to risk ruining it because we wouldn’t be open.” She was careful to use ‘we’. It wasn’t only Farah that had been guilty of this, and before they’d discussed why it was that people hiding things from her made Steffi antsy, she’d got on Farah’s case several times. Learning experiences, ones that could have sank the relationship entirely if they hadn’t worked through them together.  
  
“Don’t worry. It’s nothing major,” Farah assured her. “Something on my mind. Don’t want to talk about it now, but maybe in a bit.”  
  
“All right, that’s fair.” Steffi caught up to Farah in a few steps and took her hand again. They set off, and Steffi was sure she wasn’t imagining Farah’s grip being a little tighter than before. “So, what are we seeing next? We’ve had the lions, the penguins, the giraffe, that just leaves—” she groaned as they came off the path and into the area of a wooded enclosure set several feet down into the ground. “The bears.”  
  
Farah fixed her with a smile which contained too many teeth. An ursine grin. Then she waited. And waited.  
  
“I’m not giving you the set up,” said Steffi, folding her arms. Farah’s grin got bigger. “I’m not!”  
  
“Come on, ask me what I’m waiting for.”  
  
“No!”  
  
“Come oooooon.”  
  
Steffi groaned even harder. “Why aren’t you talking.” She said mechanically.  
  
“I’m…” Farah delayed for three whole seconds, smile inhumanly wide. “Pawsing fur effect.”  
  
Steffi made a disgusted noise. “I’m banning you from jokes forever.”  
  
“Oh, come on, admit it. That was koala-ty.”  
  
“Ugh.”  
  
“Okay, okay, I get it. My sense of humour can be polarising.”  
  
“UGH.”  
  
“No need to make such grizzly faces.”  
  
Steffi reached up and put her hand over Farah’s mouth. “Please stop.”  
  
Laughing, Farah leaned back, putting up her hands. “Sorry.”  
  
“No you’re not.”  
  
“No I’m not,” Farah agreed. “Ooh, look, the cub is playing!”  
  
Steffi gasped and dashed for the railing like a cute-seeking missile. Leaning against it, she began to bounce up and down with a high-pitched squeak in the back of her throat as she watched the zoo’s newest addition rolling around in the grass. After exhausting that particular excitement, it started to stand on its hind legs, batting at a rope tire that was strung up from one of the trees. Freaking adorable.  
  
She stood there and watched it for what felt like way too little time before the cub decided to stop playing and went trundling off for another side of the enclosure. Smiling from ear to ear, she turned to Farah to apologise for damaging her ear drums.  
  
And found her down on one knee.  
  
Steffi clapped both hands to her mouth. Oh my god. Oh my god  _oh my god._  
  
“Steffi, I uh, you, um, your eyes are, your face is...” Farah was breathing quickly, her pupils narrowed to slits. “Fuck I had this whole thing prepared, I um. Shit.” She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and then almost yelled. “Will you marry me?”  
  
“Yes!” It exploded out of her and then she was throwing herself headlong at Farah, crashing into her and bearing them both to the ground. Steffi was laughing and her eyes were filled with tears and she just wanted to kiss Farah over and over again. “Yes, yes, yes, yes!”  
  
Farah enfolded her in a huge hug. Steffi kissed her. Twice. And, for a little while, a patch of grass beside a set of bears was the best place in the world.


End file.
